The process of implementing a detection and characterization strategy for the determination of mechanical characteristics (e.g., fractures, yields, etc.) of engineering structures is generally referred to as structural health monitoring (SHM). Many techniques such as non-destructive evaluation/inspection (NDE/NDI) and condition-based monitoring can be considered subcategories of SHM. SHM can be used to detect changes to the material and/or geometric properties of a structural system that can, in some cases, adversely affect the system's performance. A typical SHM process can involve the observation of a system over time using periodically sampled measurements from one or more detectors, the extraction of damage-sensitive features from these measurements, and the analysis of these features to determine the current state of system health, making prognoses of system performance in the future, with the view towards making prescriptive recommendations to remedy damage. Present SHM systems can have one or more drawbacks, including relatively poor spatial resolution, inability to detect features within the bulk of the article being analyzed, the need for complex networks of sensors and wires, high power requirements, high cost, and high noise, among others. Accordingly, improved systems, articles, and methods are desirable.